Mixer



y 3, 1966 R. MOILVAINE 3,248,761

MIXER Filed April 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR. Robert L. Mcl lvolne BY WW, /4Ma aw Attorneys May 3, 1966 R. L. MCILVAINE MIXER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1.4, 1964 FIG. 2

.m wv R.| 00W m m c 8 WM L r, e b M Y B Attorneys United States Patent MIXER Robert L. Mcllvaine, Winnetka, Ill., assignor to Herbert fimpson Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of linois Filed Apr. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 359,598

4 Claims. (Cl; 22-89) The present invention relates to a new and improved mixer for granular material and the like and more particularly to mixers of the type employing rotatable mulling Wheels for mulling and mixing materials such as those described in United States Patents Nos. 2,978,147 and 2,970,778, which patents are assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved mixer of the type described wherein the mulling wheels are provided with means for agitating and mixing the material as they rotate in order to mix more thoroughly the material and to break up any lumps formed by the mulling action of the wheels.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved mixer of the type described wherein there are provided means associated with the mulling wheels for lifting and aerating the sand as it is mulled.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved mixer of the type described having means associated with the mulling wheels for cleaning and breaking up any material accumulating around the periphery of the material receiving crib of the mixer.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved mixer with mulling wheels having outwardly extending cleat means thereon for lifting and aerating material disposed adjacent the periphery of the material receiving crib of the mixer.

Briefly, the foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention are accomplished by the provision of a new and improved mixer comprising a material receiving crib having a side Wall and rotary mixing head mounted for rotation in the crib about a vertical axis. The mixing head is provided with a pair of mulling Wheels disposed on opposite sides of the head, each mounted for rotation on an outwardly extending spindle. Each wheel is provided with an outer side face disposed to face the side wall of the crib and cleat means are provided on the wheels which extend outwardly from these side faces for lifting and aerating the material in the crib disposed around the periphery thereof as the wheels rotate on their spindles during rotation of the mixing head. In the embodiments shown in the drawings and described in the specification the cleat means preferably include a plurality of cleat members circumferentially spaced around the spindle axis of the respective wheels and disposed inwardly from the outer periphery of the wheels.

As the mulling wheels rotate to mull the material in the crib, successive cleat members move downwardly into the material in the crib breaking up any accumulations or lumps around the periphery of the crib and then move upwardly carrying with them quantities of the material to further mix and aerate the material. Similar cleat means may also-be disposed to extend inwardly from inner side faces of the mulling wheels in order to breakup, mix and aerate material in the central portion of the crib.

For a better understanding ofthe invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a mixer constructed in accordance with the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken substantialy along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a different embodiment of the cleat means of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, detailed fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 1 showing a detailed construction of the cleat means of the present invention.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings there is illustrated a mixer 10 of the general type shown and described in the aforementioned United States Patents Nos. 2,978,147 and 2,970,778. The mixer 10 includes a material receiving crib 12 having an upstanding cylindrical side wall 14 joined to the periphery of a bottom or wear plate 16 and adapted to contain a quantity of sand 18 or other material which is to be pulverized and mixed.

Within the crib 12, there is provided a mixing head 20 which is mounted for rotation about a centrally disposed vertical axis 22 in the direction as indicated by the arrowv 24 (FIG. 1). The head 20 is provided with a pair of oppositely extending, radially outwardly disposed support arms 26 and 28 which carry an outer scraper 30 and an inner scraper '32, respectively. The lower edges of the scrapers 30 and 32 are disposed in close proximity to the wear plate 16 in order to move and mix the material in the crib and prevent the material from building up on the wear plate. The outer edge of the outer scraper 30 is positioned to move in close proximity to the side wall 14 of the crib and the scraper is curved in order that mate- 'rial around the periphery of the crib will be continually moved inwardly into the path of the mullet wheels as the mixing head 20 rotates. The inner edge of the inner scraper 32 is disposed toward the central portion of the crib and is curved in order to move material outwardly from the central portion of the crib into the path of the 'muller wheels as the mixing head rotates.

The mixing head 20 is also provided with muller wheel support assemblies 34 which extend oppositely outward from the central axis 22in directions generally normal to the support arms 26 and 28. Each of the assemblies 34 is provided with an outward extending spindle 36 on which is journalled a mulling wheel 38. The wheels 38 are journalled to freely rotate on the spindles 36 and as the mixing head 20 isrotated in the crib the wheels 38 are rotated in the direction of the arrows 40 by frictional engagement with the material in the crib 12.

The wheels 38 are preferably constructed of a heavy material such as cast iron or steel and are provided with cylindrical outer peripheral surfaces 40 for mulling engagement with the material in the crib to pulverize and break up any lumps or agglomerations that may be pres ent therein. As the material in the crib is engaged by the mulling surfaces 42 of the rotating wheels 38 it is com pressed against the wear plate 16 tending to break up lumps therein and tends to move out from under the wheels as they move through the material. In accordance with the present invention, for further aiding in the puverization of the material and the breaking up of lumps or agglomerations of material encountered by the wheels and to further aid in mixing and aeration of the material, cleat means are provided which extend outwardly from the sides of the wheels.

Preferably the cleat means may take the form of a plurality of individual cleat members 44 which are disposed in spaced circumferential relation about the axes of the spindles 36 as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The cleat members 44 are spaced inwardly from the mulling surfaces 42 of the Wheels so that they do not extend below these surfaces to interfere with rotation of the wheels. As the wheels 38 rotate, as shown by the arrows 40, successive cleat members 44 move downwardly into the material in the crib breaking up any lumps or agglomerations present and then continue to move upwardly out of the material carrying a portion of the material along. The material carried upwardly on the cleat members 44 then falls downwardly into the crib and is aerated and mixed in the process.

As can be seen by reference to the drawings, each of the wheels 38 is provided with an outer side face 46 which is disposed to face the side wall 14 of the crib. Preferably these side faces 46 are annular, frusto-conical surfaces and the cleat members 44 are secured at right angles thereto so that the cleat members extend in an outwardly divergent relationship to the axes of the spindles 36. It should also be noted that the cleat members 44 are of sufficient length so that the outer ends thereof are in close proximity to the side wall 14 of the crib and the wear plate 16. Because of the outward divergence of the cleat members 44 and the close proximity of their outer ends to the side wall of the crib, any lumps of material adjacent the peripheral corner of the crib are broken up by the cleat members and moved inwardly toward the mulling wheels.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the cleat members 44 may be secured to the annular conical side faces 46 of the muller wheels 38 by the provision of threaded end shanks 48 formed at the inner ends of the cleat members which are threadedly engaged in recesses 50 provided in the muller Wheels. Lock washers 52 are provided to prevent the cleat members 44 from becoming unthreaded from the recesses 50 during rotation of the muller wheels. As the cleat members wear during use they can readily be replaced by unthreading the worn cleats and inserting new ones into the threaded recesses 50 on the Wheels.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is illustrated another form of cleat members 44a which are rectangular in transverse cross section instead of round as are the cleat members 44 of FIG. 2. The rectangular cross sectioned cleat members 44a are advantageous in that they have a relatively sharp leading edge or corner 44b which aids in cutting into and breaking up the lumps of material. Additionally, the cleat members 44a have flat surfaces 44c which aid in carrying and lifting the material on upward movement of the cleats and thus provide for increased aeration and mixing of the material.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the mulling wheels 38 are provided with inner side faces 54 which may be annular frusto-conical surfaces similar to the outer side faces 46. Cleat members 56 (shown in dotted lines on FIG. 1) similar to the members 44 or 44a may be provided to extend inwardly from the inner side faces 54 toward the central portion of the crib. These inwardly extending cleat members 56 are preferably outwardly divergent at their outer ends from the axes of the spindles 36 and thus tend to aid in breaking lumps or agglomerations of material in the central portion of the crib and move the material outwardly into the path of the mulling wheels. These inwardly extending cleat members 56 also aid in aerating and mixing the material as previously described in connection with the outwardly extending cleat members.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications may be made and it is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mixer for granular material and the like comprising a material receiving crib having a bottom wall and an upstanding side wall around the periphery thereof, a mixing head assembly in said crib mounted for rotation about an upstanding axis therein, said mixing head assembly including a mulling wheel journaled for rotation about an axis extending outwardly from said upstanding axis toward side side wall, said mulling wheel including an outer peripheral mulling surface and an outer side surface facing said side wall, a plurality of spaced-apart, rodlike, aerating cleats mounted on said mulling wheel, spaced inwardly of said mulling surface to extend outwardly of said side surface toward said side wall for breaking up, lifting, and aerating said material as said mulling wheel rotates.

2. The mixer of claim 1 wherein said mulling wheel includes an inner side surface facing toward the central portion of said crib, and a plurality of spaced-apart, rodlike, aerating cleats mounted on said wheel spaced inwardly of said peripheral mulling surface thereof and extending inwardly toward the central portion of said crib for breaking up, lifting, and aerating said material as said mulling wheel rotates.

3. A mixer for granular material and the like comprising a material receiving crib having a bottom wall and an upstanding side wall around the periphery thereof, a mixing head assembly in said crib mounted for rotation about an upstanding axis therein, said mixing head assembly including a mulling wheel journaled for rotation about an axis extending outwardly from said upstanding axis toward said side wall, said mulling wheel including an outer peripheral mulling surface and an outer, frusto-conical side surface facing said side wall, a plurality of spacedapart, rodlike, aerating cleats mounted on said wheel spaced inwardly of said mulling surface to extend outwardly of said side surface toward said side wall for breaking up, lifting, and aerating said material as said 'wheel rotates, said cleats having outer ends diverging outwardly from the axis of rotation of said wheel.

4. The-mixer of claim 3 wherein said mulling wheel includes an inner, frusto-conical side surface facing toward the central portion of said crib, and a plurality of spaced-apart, rodlike, aerating cleats mounted on said wheel spaced inwardly of said mulling surface to extend outwardly from said inner side surface toward the central portion of said crib, said cleats having outer ends diverging outwardly from the axis of rotation of said wheel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,436,519 11/1922 Norton 259-107 2,978,147 4/1961 McIlvaine.

FOREIGN PATENTS 491,455 3/1954 Italy.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

RQBERT W. JENKINS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MIXER FOR GRANULAR MATERIAL AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A MATERIAL RECEIVING CRIB HAVING A BOTTOM WALL AND AN UPSTANDING SIDE WALL AROUND THE PERHPHERY THEREOF, A MIXING HEAD ASSEMBLY IN SAID CRIB MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AND UPSTANDING AXIS THEREIN, SIAD MIXING HEAD ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A MULLING WHEEL JOURNALED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SIAD UPSTANDING AXIS TOWARD SAID WALL, SAID MULLING WHEEL INCLUDING AN OUTER PERIPHERAL MULLING SURFACE AND AN OUTER SIDE SURFACE FACING SAID SIDE WALL, A PLURALITY OF SPACED-APART, RODLIKE, AERATING CLEATS MOUNTED ON SAID MULLING WHEEL, SPACED INWARDLY OF SAID MULLING SURFACE TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY OF SAID SIDE SURFACE TOWARD SAID SIDE WALL FOR BREAKING UP, LIFTING, AND AERATING SAID MATERIAL AS SAID MULLING WHEEL ROTATES. 